A Sad Tale's Best for Winter
by TheHazardsOfLove13
Summary: My OTP for a Caesar's Palace challenge. Hermione learns to let go. Please read and review!
**This fic was written for a Caesar's Palace Challenge where you had to write a fic about your OTP and since I am a giant nerd, mine is from a Shakespeare play called the Winter's Tale, which I performed in. For people who don't know the play, it's about this guy named Leontes who is the king of Sicilia, and is best friends with the king of Bohemia. He becomes convinced that his wife, Hermione, is cheating on him with the king of Bohemia and that the child she is carrying isn't his and generally overreacts. He tries to convince a guy named Camillo to poison his friend and throws Hermione in jail, where she has her child, a girl named Perdita. Hermione's 'friend' Paulina takes the kid to Leontes to try and convince him that he is wrong. He flips out and tells Paulina's husband to leave the child out in the wilderness. Leontes puts Hermione on trial, but while the trial is going on, they receive news that their son, Mamillius has died. Hermione faints and Paulina escorts her out and brings back the news that she had died. However, she had not died and lived in Paulina's house for sixteen years. Me and my friends think something definitely happened during those sixteen years and I wrote a fic about it. Please review!**

"I'm home," Paulina called softly to Hermione, "It's safe to come out now." "How is he?," the other woman asked, her chestnut-brown hair cascading down her shoulders and a look of worry on her face. "Penitent", replied Paulina tersely. She did not like discussing Leontes and hated how, even after everything he had done, Hermione still loved him.

"Paulina, it's been three years and he's still in mourning", Hermione said, "Don't you think it's time to let him know the truth?" "No", said the other woman, her hazel eyes flashing, "What happened once can happen again." She sighed. "Hermione, I just want to make sure you are safe." "Is that the only reason?", asked Hermione. "What do you mean by that?" "Is that the only reason you want me to stay here?"

"No", Paulina admitted, "Hermione, I love you." The world seemed to stop for Paulina as she watched the expression on her friend's face change. What would she think? Did she feel the same way? Hermione looked conflicted. "Paulina, I feel the same way. After how you've cared for me, helped me get through the death of my children and my husband's betrayal, how could I not?", she said, "You are strong and you always stood up for me, but I can't do this. I'm still married to him, and every time I think of you, his face appears too, accusing me again of adultery. And the worst thing is that he would be right." Tears filled her eyes as she remembered the trial, the hatred that had burned in his eyes, and the fire in Paulina's. Aided by Paulina, she had faked her own death, and had spent the last three years in hiding, reliving the memories of when she was his, of her children, all lost now.

Paulina bent down and took her hands. "Leontes doesn't rule you," she said fiercely, "He lost all right he had to your heart the day he first suspected you. You are free. You don't have to be queenly or proper. Do what your heart tells you to, and I will always be at your side." "Do you want to go back?", she asked, dreading the answer.

Hermione contemplated it. Her immediate answer was yes. She would return to him and rule again as Queen at his side. Leontes was repentant, he regretted what he had done. She would finally see the world outside the four walls of Paulina's house.

But just as she was about to open her mouth to answer yes, she remembered Paulina, how she had held her as she had wept for her children, how she was always there for her and how she had fought for her when all the other lords had hidden in fear from her husband's jealousy. Hermione realized that she truly loved the other woman. "Here's my answer", she whispered as she kissed Paulina passionately.

 **For those curious, Paulina pretty much makes Leontes feel terrible about himself for 16 years, the couple's lost daughter is found and she marries the son of the king of Bohemia, and Hermione and Leontes are reunited. Paulina marries Camillo.**


End file.
